Wire support and guide



Many 1931. A. s. M DONALD 1,804,996

WIRE SUPPORT AND GUIDE Filed March 23, 1928 a MMFM Patented May 12, 1931 ALBERT s. M-AODOI\TALD, oreUIno'Y, MAssAcnosn'rTs, assienon. BY Mnsiannssromf-v I MEN'IS, ro BAY STATE FISHING .oo urenv, onBosToN, MAssAoHUsErrs. Alcoa.

ronnrron or Mnssacnnsnrrs WIRE snrroa'r Ann some" Application meal-tarot 23, 1928. Serial-No. 263,997.

" 7 This invention relates to a device for assisting in the u'nreeling of wire from a wire coil, which is particularly adapted to guide the wire in such'a manner that catching or snarling thereof is avoided so that the wire can continuously be removed from the coil and fed to anysuitable point of use.

. Adevice of this character preferably has a wire guidingmember so arranged that it conformsto the size of. the wire coils and permits the same to be arranged-in spirals as, the wire passes from the coil to the straight run lead-. ing'to the point ofuse. Thus theiguiding member preferably may be cylindrical and may have a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the coil from which the wire is to be removed. This member is preferably arranged in association with certain retaining elements, sothat the wire run is put under some tensionat the upper end of the guide member and so that the spiral closely conforms to the outersurface of that member at the point where the wire leaves the spiral and follows a more orless-straight path.

A suitable frame ispreferably arranged at either side of the guide member and'ha-s a portion extending above thesame withan opening adapted to receive the wire run and to provide an auxiliary guide for the same. The upper portion of the main guide .meinberis preferably connected to the frame member in such a manner that additional coils ofxw-ire may be readily located in concentricrelation to the guide member. Thus a, device con structed in accordance with ,the'pre'sentim vention permits the wire passing fromthe coil first to follow a spiral path, whichhas an average diameter somewhat greater than that of the cylindrical-guide member, thediameter of the spiral decreasing as the wire approaches the portion of the guide member which is engaged by theretaining 'mean'sy this retaining means preferably being yieldable or yieldably' mounted so that the u'pperip'or- 1 tion of the wire spiral adjoining the point where the wire'leaves'theguide memberpreferably conforms closely to the surface of that member. Thus thewire may'follow an indeterminate-path as it leaves the; .coil, but it is guided more accurately-res: its. distance.

ing wire coils, that is leavlng-thegulde means ishand'led fromtthe coil increasesybeing positioned close to the guidemeans as itleavesitheksamei Thus the portion of the wire-a'djoiningithe' coil'is free to flex and to adjust itself. to ai position determined by the tension imposed thereon by the pullupon the straight wire'runandby its engagement. or contact with adj oinwhile the portion of the wire under substantially uniform conditions and. follows a quite definite path.

Inthe drawings, which exemplif -l ir}:

bodiment of the invention,

, Fig. 1 is a top view of the with a and v Fig. 2 is a side view of ithe samei; I y the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral. 1 designates a support which may conveniently rest upon the floor.

coil of wire 'disposed upon the same-,5

or the ground or any supporting surface;

This support may be of any desired form;

" being: conveniently circular in shape as shown. Support 1 carries a centrally disposed upstanding annular fiange Q which may be secured thereto in any suitable man-j ner.

cylindrical in shape and it may conveniently take the form of a sheet metal shell; being secured to flange 2 by fasteningielements t adapted to permit the convenient adjustment of the bracket at any'desired height in rela tion to the frame; Each bracket preferably carries a horizontal bar 10, the end portions of the latter'be'ing sec'u'red-tothe'legs .of an open strap metal loop 12 that enga esthe periphery of theguiole member 3; refer ably, when the thumb nuts 9 are tightened he halves of the 1 time 8 are-*flrawxi "to Mounted in telescoping engagement with flange. 2 "is the upstanding guide men!- her 3.; preferably this guide member may be" gether and the loop elements 12 are pulled toward the sides of the frame in such a manner that they grip the upper portion of guide member 3 tightly therebetween. Each of" the brackets 8 also carries a retaining element 14 This element preferably 1s yieldable or yieldably mounted, and as, shown may co prise strip i r s l en Sheet m ta ar n s inner nd line llr dly and maintained in yieldable engagement with the outer surface of the guide member 3. The horizontal portion of frame, a. preferably carries an eye 16 which is arranged substantially over the of the, gu de shell 3.

In: the, use, of; a deviceof this character, a ofawire, designated in general by the numeral. may be; disposed 'upon the sup.- PDIIt' Iii-'1v concentricrelation to the lowertpart Qi g lkle member 3, In order-toperm-it'the QQnvenicnt disp ositi'on of the wire in this manner, the hand screws 9omay be loosened, whereupon the connecting: elements 12 are moved upwardly out of engagement with guide member 3;, so, that the: wire coil may be dropped down over this member. The

' oops 12 are then preferably returned to the to, the p int of s positions which they, normally occupy, and which, are, shown inthe drawings, the hand SQBQWS 9. v beingvtightenede so that they maintain the upper part of guide member 3; accurately and rigidly positioned. The resieliency Qf; members lpermits, clamps 9and connecting: elements 12 readilyto be returned tothein n rmal: positions, the inclination of P 11 115;; defining, a comparatively narrow nQtQh hrough. which the wire is drawn as it eflyesl hesh lli Theend of thewire which rugs; coil l8 is brought upwardly and fed through theopening, in eyevv 1 6, and thence This feeding; of the initial end of; thewire results inv the forma- Q w re Spirals; about the. guide shell 3. wireisldrgawn from thev coil, the lower 1 sp rak may, and normally will, have a di,

ametertsomevahat greater. than the diameter f-the shell 3; while the resiliencyof the wire the tension cast; thereon will cause the upperportion, the helical part, of the wireerto conform closely to. the, curvature ofthq supfacetofg guide, member 3,, the angular xallgc cnt of-retaining; e emen 14 causi g gwireiobe held closely; against this. sur face. It is thus evident that thewireefollows a, helical; ath; as it leaves; the, coil: 18, this ath; first beingi-indefinitely determined: and

ependingrlargely upon the exact part of' the coil fromwhich the wire is, passing, while continuodmW-Qment of; the wire along this helical path, dueto the arrangementof ra tain ing member 14, results inthe wire con.- ermvieg clp ely: o a, p determi ed p pelt assesoutwardly in a substantially rai ht; ia I se cerding y. vident that hatms' raae l a naees. asthma tially flat coil to a straight run and that there is no sharp point of demarcation between the successive portions of the path which the wire follows, the coiled wire gradually merging into. the indefinite helical winding and this coil in turn merging into a more or less definitely determined helical curve or path, which in turn merges into a substantially straight wire run. It is, therefore ap parent that the minimum of difiiculty is, en countered in snarling or catching of wire coils upon each other, and it has been found 1n practice that a guiding device of this character permits the wire to be drawn rapidly and smoothly from a coil without catching or entanglement.

WVhi-l'e a comparativelylhigh'tension may be imposed upon the wire passing through loop 16, substantially all of this tension is opposed by the frictional engagement of the wire with the element 14: and the adjoining portion of guide 3, so that a comparatively light pull is imposed upon the wire convolutionswhich are wrapped aboutgui'de 3. Due to the natural tendency of these wire convolutions to retain substantially the shape originally imposed thereon when for-med intothecoil 1'8, they. do not tendto wraptightly-about the guide 3 accordingly the wire but loosely engages the latter and snubbingefi ect I claim:-

1. A device of the class described, comprising a central cylindrical guide, a support at the lower end of the guide adapted to hold a wire coil concentrically arranged about the; guide, an element above the; support and juxtaposed to the guide to hold the wire in frictional engagement with the surface of the same when it is being drawn from the coil, a frame about the guide, and an opening in the upper part ofthe frame to receive wire fromtlie guide. a

2. A device of the class described, comprising a central. guide, a support at the lower end of the guide adapted to hold a wire coil concentrically arranged about the guide, an element about the support juxtaposed to the guide to hold the wire in frictional engagement withthe surface of the same when'it is-ibeingdr-awn from the coil, a frame carried by thesupport and having a portion above the guide, said portion having an openingto receivewire from the guide;

3. A devicevof'the class described, comprising a central guide, a support at the lower end of'the guide adapted to hold a wirecoil concentrically arranged about the guide, an element. above the support juxtaposedto the guide to hold the wire in frictionaliengagement: with thesurface of't-he same when it is being drawn fromthecoil, a frame extend} ing upwardlyrateither side of the guide, and means} connecting the upper portionot the g'llideto the. frame L there is no substantial} tion above the guide, said yieldable 4:- A device of the class described, comprising a central cylindrical guide, a support at the lower end of the guide adapted to hold a wire coil concentrically arranged about the guide, and elements above the support juxtaposed to the guide to hold the wire close to the surface of the same when it is being drawn from the coil, said elements having surfaces inclined upwardly and inwardly adjoining the guide, a frame extending upwardly at either side of the guide, and means connecting the upper portion of the guide to the frame, said means being vertically movable to permit a wire coil to be dropped about the guide.

5. A device of the class described, comprising a central cylindrical guide, a sup-port at the guide adapted tohold ,6. A device of the class described, compris- 7 ing a central guide, a support at the lower end of the guide adapted to hold a wire coil concentrically arranged about the guide, and elements above the support juxtaposed to the guide to hold the wire in frictional engagement with the surface of the same when it is being drawn from the'coil, a frame connected to the support and having a portion above the guide, said elements being adj ustably connected to moved out of engagement with the guide.

7. A device of the class described, comprising a central guide, a support at the lower end of the guide adapted to hold a wire coil concentrically arranged about the guide, and

yieldable elements above the support movably juxtaposed to the guide'to hold the wire close to the surface of the same when it is being ing upwardly at either side of the guide, clamps slidably mounted on the frame, connecting elements carried by the clamps and movable therewith from a position wherein they connect the guide elements being carried by the clamps.

' Signed by me at East Boston, setts, this 9th day of March, 1928.

ALBERT S. MACDONALD.

Massachuthe frame so that they may be drawn from the coil, a frame extendand frame to a posi 

